Powell's Books Recommends

The Monitor: The Story of the Legendary Civil War Ironclad and the Man Whose Invention Changed the Course of History by James Dekay
An account of the ship that defeated The Merrimac, or at least fought it to a draw, in Chesapeake Bay in the early part of the Civil War. Had The Merrimac been successful in breaking the Union blockade, both trade and European recognition for the South might have followed. The Monitor reached the Bay on the day it needed to be there, fought the battle, and prevented all of that from happening. This occurred due to a man named Ericsson, Swedish by birth, who came to the United States from England. Ericson was an inventive genius who always felt somewhat thwarted, but when confronted by this challenge, he conceived the creation of the first modern battleship, which represented, in one ship, dozens of technological leaps forward. It's a great story, well told.

Recommended by Michael P.

The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor by David S. Landes
Though this book's supposed Western-centric stance has made some people angry, particularly people on the Left, Landes presents an important perspective on the questions: Why at this point in history is there such a discrepancy between rich and poor nations? and Why was it the West that led the world to the tremendous advances in science and technology of the past few centuries? His arguments are thorough, interesting and compelling. They are also presented in a readable and pleasant style. However, I would recommend reading this book in conjunction with Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel, another excellent book, which provides a very different perspective on much of the same territory.
Recommended by Jo

The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia
by Peter Hopkirk
This immensely readable account of the epic struggle between Britain and Tsarist Russia for Central Asia is not only a great story and an informative history lesson, it is also very instructive for understanding what is happening today in the area known as the former Soviet Union. The Great Game remains one of my favorite books to recommend, and so far as I know, it hasn't disappointed anyone yet.
Recommended by Tom

Path Between the Seas : the Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough

Anyone who loves great historical writing will enjoy this superlative work, which won several major awards when it was first published and has been a favorite of our customers for years. McCullough brings the story of the creation of the Panama Canal to life, giving a great deal of background information on all parties involved, as well as a thorough examination of their methods and motives. Very informative about relations between the nations in our hemisphere of the world.

Recommended by Tom

Once Upon a Distant War: David Halberstam, Neil Sheehan, Peter Arnett-Young - War Correspondents and Their Early Vietnam Battle by William Prochnau
Once Upon a Distant War reveals the underbelly of the Vietnam War and belongs on the shelf next to the other great books that exposed that dark war to the American public: Sheehan's A Bright and Shining Lie and Halberstam's The Best and the Brightest. Not only is this a great history lesson, it is also a gripping adventure story, complete with complex heroes and vile villains.
Recommended by Tom